Yarn-moistening mechanism



Mmh 24', 1925. 1,531,189

4 J. A. JOHNSON YARN -MOI STEN ING MECHANISM Z7 Z6 ln/vento@ -Mmh221.1925; 1,531,139Y

J. A. JoHNsoN y YARN MOISTENING MEGHANISM Filed June` 18 1923 3Sheets-Sheet 2 31a/vento@ 'March 24, 1925. 1,531,189

J. A. JOHNSON YARN MOISTENING MEcHANrsM Fi1ed June 1e, 1923- ssheets-sheet 5 y lo Patented Mar. 24, v1,925.

UNITED STATES 1,531,189 Pa'rENr' OFFICE.

:uns A. JOHNSON, or DANVILLE, VIRGINIA, AssIGNoa 'ro baNvILLE CONDITION-ING momma oonrm, INC., or DANVILLE, vmonrra, a yCORPORATION F VIRGINIA.

Application mea :une 1s, 1923. swarm. 646,094.

To all wlw-m it may cme-m.'

Be it known that I, JAMES A. JOHNSON, a. citizen of the United States,residing at Danville, in the county of Pittsylvania and State `of Virinia, have invented Icertain o new and use ul Improvements in YarnMoistening Mechanisms, lof which the following is a specification,reference being had to the accompanying drawings.y

This invention relates to the conditioning o r treating of yarn prior toits being wound in a windingmachine, and particularly to means forsupplying moisture to the yarn or conditioning it, as itis called. Inthe ordinary conditioning of yarn, the yarn is wound uponV cones andthese are placed within the conditioning room where they are submittedto the action of moisture, the room being filled with a very fine sprayor vapor from a suitable spraying pipe. This moisture sets the twist andprevents kinking, but is objectionable in that the outside layers of theyarn on a cone must be moistened beyond the proper percentage in orderthat the insidelayers ofvyarn shall have the proper percentage ofmoisture.

The general object of the present invention is to condition the yarn bythe provision of means whereby the yarn is moistened as it is beingwound upon the cone, and provide means whereby a uniform amount ofmoisture shall be supplied to all the yarn so that the inner layers ofthe yarn on the cone will have just as Amuch moisture 'and no more thanthe outerlayers, thus preventing the.milclewing of the outer layers.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a moisteningdevice of this character which does not use rollers or like rotatingmoistening Vdevices and thus avoids any chance of the yarn,"'in case itbreaks, getting wound up on the rollers.

A still further object is to provide a mechanism of this character whichis very simple so constructed that it may be readily cleaned.

Another Object kis to provide a mechanism of this character in which theyarn is inoistenedby means oftwo or more moistening members which arealternately immersed in a tank containing water or water and oil or anyother li uid and which is disposed between the bob ins of a windingmachine and the cones on which' the yarn is wound,

and effective in its operation, and which is and provide mechanismwhereby these moistenlng members are intermittently immersed and thenraised into contact with the yarn, the mechanism being such 'that one ofthe moistening members is always 1n contact with the yarn and supplyingmoisture thereto.

Other objects have to do with the details of construction andarrangement of parts asewill. appear more fully hereinafter.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanylng drawings, wherein F1gure 1 is a fragmentary elevation'of an ordinary winding machineshowing my improvement applied thereto, parts of the framework of the`machine being in section;

F1gure 2 is a perspective view of a p0rtlon of a winding machine with mymechamsm applied thereto;

Figure 3 is a transverse section on an enlarged scale taken through themoistening members and showing in connection therewith one of thebobbins and one of the windlng rollers;

Figure 4 is a longitudinal section through one end of the trough,showing the actuating levers for the moistening members;

Flgure 5 is an elevation of the end of the trough and the Operatinglevers illustrating the means whereby the Operating levers areoscillated;

F iguro 6 is adiagrammatic view of the operating crank disk in adifferent position from that shown in Figure 5;

Figure 7 is an elevation of the operating crank disk and its parts;

Figure 8 is a diagrammatic view like Figure 6, but showingthe positiontaken by the links and the bell cranks whenthe operating pullevh'asmoved through the next succeeding quarter of a revolution;

Figure 9 is an elevation' partly broken away of two sections of one ofthemoistenlngrmemberg' igure 10 is a sectional view through the troughshowing the manner in which a drip apron lor splash pan mayberdetachably mounted thereon;

Figure 11 is a fragmentary 'perspective view of'one of the moisteningmembers;

Figure 12 is a fragmentary. perspective `itrxiew of a modified form ofmoistening mem r; Figure 13 is a detail perspective view of a moisteningmember like that shown in Figure 12 but slightly` different therefrom; yFigure 14 is a diagrammatic top plan view showing the manner in whichthe thread or yarn traverses the moistening member and the beveledportions thereof.

Referring to these drawings, it will be seen that I have illustrated aportion of an ordinary winding machine, in which 10 designates generallythe frame of the machine. This carries the usual cones 11 driven bymeans of rollers 12 contacting with the faces of the cones upon whichthe yarn is wound. Disposed in front of each cone is a guide 13 uponwhich a traveler 14 is mounted for osoillation. This traveler causes theyarn to traverse the cone 11 from end to end so as to cause the uniformWinding of the yarn upon the cone 1l.' The yarn a, comes from the bobbin15 which is supported in .any suitable manner upon the machine. So far,I have described so much of an ordinary winding machine such as iscommonly used in cotton mills. It will be understood; however, that mymechanism might be applied to any form of winding machine.

My moistening mechanism comprises a trough16 adapted to contain water,Water and oil, or any other desired liquid, this trough being shown asmounted upon brackets 17, which in turn are bolted to a rail 18 formingpart of the winding machine and ordinarily found thereon. This trough 16may be made of any Suitable material. One wall of the trough, isshown asbeing higher than `the other Wall-l and the front Wall of the trough isshown as rounded, as at 19. This trough may be madeY of metal or wood.The trough has a length equal to the total length of the winding machineand is supplied with Water from any suitable source as, for instance,from the tank 19, the source of supply being such that the water withinthe trough is always kept atna uniform level.v

Disposed'within this trough 16 are a pair of longitudinallyextendlngmolsteuing members 20 and 21. These members may be made ofbrass, wood, glass, hard fiber, por

celain or any other suitable material. While I do not wish to be limitedto the V`particul lar form of the members illustrated, I have orcorrugations to preventthe Water from running olf of the moisteningmember too quickly. Each moistening member is preferably provided with avent opening 24 at the middle of its horizontal wall. The moisteningmembers have a depth less than the depth of the water in the tank sothat each moistening member may be fully submerged. Preferably eachmoisteningl member is formed of a plurality of sections, as shown inFigure 9, that is, in an ordinary moistening device for the ordinarywinding machine each moistening member will be 40 long and formed of,say ten sections each 4C long. The sections are designated b and c inFigure 9. The sections are in alignment with each other and connectedfor longitudinal move` ment by any suitable means.

I have illustrated for this purpose a latch 25 which at one end extendsdown through the top wall of the section b and then extendslongitudinally in a groove Vin the seetion Z) and has a downwardlyextending end 26 which extends through the top wall of the section c.This latch 25 then engages the sections Z) and c for longitudinal 'movelment but the latch will permit the sections to be readily lifted andremoved from the tank one by one. As before remarked, I do not wish tobe limited to the specific form of means for holding the sectionstogether for longitudinal movement, as other means might be substitutedfor the one shown Without departing from the spirit of my invention.

The lower edges of the side walls of each moistening member are formedwith the inclined cam faces 27. There is a cam face 27 preferably at theopposite ends of each section b, c, etc., but it will be understood thatthere might be intermediate cam faces if desired. These cam facesoperate against transversely extending ribs 28 formed upon the bottom ofthe trough, and thus it will be seen that when the moistening member ismoved to the left in Figure 4 or to the left in Figure 9, that the calnfaces 27 engaging the ribs 28 will cause the moistening membercolnposedof the sections?) and c and the connectedsections to rise loan extentdependent upon the height of the rib 28, and

ythat when the moistening member is moved in the reverse direction itwill fall. This is shown in dotted lines in Figure 4. When themoistening member is submerged, the water in the tank will flow over theface of the moistening member and when it is raised some of this Waterwill be carried up with the moistening member and will be applied to theyarn passing over the upper face thereof.

As beforeremarked, there are a pair of.

is raised into contact with the yarn, the first .the

named moistening member being then depressed. I do not wish to belimited to the mechanism whichI have illustrated forths purpose, as itis obvious that other means mig t be used,rbut I have shown eachmoistening member as being operatively connected to the depending arm 29cfa corresponding bell crank 30 mounted upon a transverse shaft 31supported in brackets upon the trough at one end thereof. Each of thesebell cranks has a horizontal arm 32. The depending arm of each bellcrank is longitudinally slotted, and a pin 33 engages the walls of thecorresponding moistening member and passes through this slot. i

By this means it will be seen oscillation communicated to the bell cranklevers will cause areciprocation of the moistening members. The outerends of the horizontal arms 32 of the bell cranks are connected torespective links 34 and 35. Mounted upon a bracket 36 or in anyothersuitable manner is a driving pulley 37 illustratedas mounted` upon ashaft 38.v This driving pulley carries upon it a double crank comprisinga crank pin 39 and an arm 40.wl1ich extends diametrically across theyface of the pulley 37 this arm at its end carrying` a wrist pin 41. The'link 34 is formed to provide a head 42 formed with a longitudinallyextending slot 43, and the link 35 is formed with a like head 42*lhaving a longitudinally extending slot 43. The pin 39 passes through theslot in the head 4 2 and the pin 41 passes'through the slot in the head42. The pulley or disk 37 in rotated in the directionof the arrow bymeans of a band 44 or by anyrother suitable mechanism and as it rotatesit will be obvious from Figuresy5 and 6 that one link will be drawndownward while the other link will be raised by means of a spring 45.

When the pulley 'or disk 3 7 is in the position shown in Figure 6, thepins 39 and 41 are horizontally disposed and both of the moisteningmembers are raised and held raised under theaction of the springs 45,

these springs being shown as being-connected to the depending arm of therespective bell crank levers. As the pin 39 moves downward -it pullsdown on 42, thus loweringthecorrespondingmolsteningmembler, but pin 41rides through the slot of .the

link 42 without effecting the moistener connected thereto, which is othus kept in its raised sition. On 4thenex't quarter turn Y 42. willsimply swing laterally without any effect upon the moistener,ybut thelink42 will rise as the pin 41 rises, thus lowering the other moistening1 member. Thus it will be seen that during one portion of the travel ofthe disk 37 both the moistening members will be raised. This is theposition shwn in Figure 6. yUpon the further movement of the pulley disk37, one of the moistening members will be lowered, the other remainin4raised, then the lowered moistening mem r will be raised, and then' theAfirst named moistening Vmember again lowered. ,Thus there is always `araised moistening member with which the yarn comes in contact.

lWhile I have illustrated the springs45 as belng applied to thedepending arms 29 of the bell crank levers 30, I do not wish to belimited to this,.as they might be' applied to any other part ofthemechanism and a'ct to urge vthe moistening members in one di,- rectionor the other. v

The general operation of this mechanism will be understood from what hasone before. The moistening members wi be alternatel raised from thewater and immersed 1n the water. When raised they will apply moisture tothe yarn to a slight amount. The yarn traveling over the moisteninmembers receives watertherefrom and -is umformly and ad .uatelmoistened. I

have illustrated the p ey3 lasbeing driven by a belt 44 extending overidle pulleys 46 (see Figure l1) and then extending around a horizontalpulley 47 mounted upon a shaft 48, which in turn carries a worm gear 49driven by a worm shaft 50, this worm shaft constitutm an extension/ofthe shaft 51 ordinarily pound in machines of this character whichcarries the main pulley 52 from which` the cone driving means isoperated -by a belt'53. The shaft 51, the cone pulleys illustrated, my'invention consisting not so much in the mechanism employed for securingthe raising and lowering ofthe moistening members as in the use ofmoistening memberswhich are' alternately immersed in the tank and raisedtherefrom into Contact with the yarn. Moistening members of this 'ocharacter do not collect lint as rollers do,

and furthermore they may be readily cleaned` by the operator wiping themlongitudinall? with a rag when the machine is being oiled. Furthermore,there is obviously no danger of the yarn wrapping around the moisteningmembers in case the yarn should break, which the yarn would be liable todo if rollers were used as mointening members.

I have not attempted to illustrate all of the detailed construction of awinding machine,`

thetraverse mechanism. `and yarn mechanism, but it will lbe understoodlthat any ofthefordinary means is used for this Pm`lm$-A f It will benoted thatv themoistening members are formed on their side walls withiso outwardly projecting ribs 2()a which engage with the lateral wallsof the trough so as to space the moistening members from the walls ofthe trough. and that the moistening members are provided upon theirconfronting faces with the spacing ribs so that the moistening membersare spaced from each other, thus permitting the ready movement of themoistening members into and out of the water and permitting the water tohave free access to the tops of said moistening members.

IVhile I have especially designed this moistening means for use in theconditioning or treating of yarn as it is beingwound in a windingmachine. I do not wish to be limited to the use ofithis device with a`winding machine as it might be used with any machine through which yarnis passing and during any period in the treatmentl of the yarn. Thus theyarn may be moistened as it is being wound in hanks or it might bemoistened by this means as itis passing to a drum or after it-has passedover the drum of a Slasher or while it is being twisted.

Obviously the device might be used for d veing yarii while the yarn ispassing over the trough, the trough, the trough containing dyestutf,this dyes-tuff being applied to the yarn by means of the moisteningmembers.

Preferably a splash pan or drip pan is used with the trough 16 and, asillustrated in Figure 3, this drip pan, which is designated 54, may bemade in one piece with the trough. It'will be understood that there isa. drip pan or splash pan between each spindle and corresponding cone.There might, however, be a drip pan extending entirely along beneath allof the ends or yarn threads on the winding machines This drip pan 54extends te a point just beneath thel small rod on the winder anddesignated 13 andover which the yarn passes. The yarn passing over themoistening members first comes in conta-ct with this small rod 13 beforepassing onto the cones. The vi- 'bration of the wet yarn throws oli`some little water just before reaching this rod and this water wouldordinarily fall upon the Winder mechanism just below. Furthermore, asthe yarn comes from the trough and the yarn comes in contact with therod 13, water is depositedon this rod and drops from this rod onto thewinder. It is to avoid this that I provide the splash pan 54 whichcatches the water dripping from the rod and also the water dripping fromthe yarn and carries it back to the trough.

' I do not wish to be limited to this, as the splash plate illustratedin Figure 3 and designated 54 might be a separate piece from the trough.In this case, the spash plate is shown as formed with two flanges orjaws 55 which grip the wall of the trough so as to support the splashplate. This permits the splash plate to be readily removed when themachine is to be cleaned. I do not wish to be limited to any particulardesign for this splash plate or pan nor to the material of which it isformed, no1' to the manner in which it is mounted, and it is to beunderstood that the splash plate might be attached to any suitableportion of the winder instead of to the trough and yet be within thepurview of this invention.

In Figure 12, I have illustrated a moistening member designated 20", theequivalent of the members 20 or 21, which is U-shaped in cross section,as are the members 20 and 21, but which has certain portions. designated55 in Figure 12, over which the yarn or thread tra-verses, whichportions are rounded at their ends by downwardly and c laterallyextending beveled faces 56. The yarn is caused to traverse these faces55l by the transverse motion of the Winder and the length of thisportion 55 is such that the yarn in its traverse will move down onto thebeveled face 56 alternately at one end or the other so that any lintwhich may have collected upon the face 55 over which the yarn moves willbe swept off this face 55 at each traverse of the4 yarn in one direction4or the other and will be carried down upon the inclined face l56. Thenas .the moistening member is lowered into the water the inrush of waterpast or across this beveled face 56 and the notches which form them willwash away this lint.

It will be understood that the angle between the face 55 and the face 56is not sharp and cutting but that the two faces 55 and 56 mer e intoeach other and the junction is roun ed and smooth so that the yarn as ittravels from right to left or left to right will pass downward and overthese rounded edges and onto the beveled face 56, thus discharging lintfrom the face. 55 over which the yarn traverses. It will be understoodthat there are as many faces 55 upon thc moistening member'QO or 2l asthere are spindles. Openings 5T corresponding to the openings 24 will beiliade in the reversely beveled faces 58 of the notch or groove or atany other point to permit the easy depression of the members into theliquid in the trough. f In Figures 13 and 14, I show a. modified form ofthe moistening member designated 20 which is substantially like theconstruction illustrated in Figure 12, but in which these beveled faces56 are not only beveled downward but the corners or edges are rounded,as at 56, so as to permit the traverse of the yarn with the leastpossible obstruction. It will be noted also that while the upper face ofthe moistener conforms, generally speaking, to the plane of travel ofthe yarn, yet the upper face is also slightly rounded, as shown mostclearly in the relatively large views, Figures 11 to 13, so that lll()trough adapted to contain liquid and 'dis-v posed beneath the travelingyarn, a moistening member disposed in the trough, and power operatedmeans for vertically reciproeating the moistening member to cause it tobe alternately raised into contact with the yarnfand lowered bodilydownward into the liquid in the trough.

2. Yarn moistening means including a trough adapted to contain liquidand be disposed beneath the travelling yarn, applurality of moisteningmembers disposed in the trough and mounted for movement in a planeapproximately at` right angles to the yarn, and means for bodilyreciprocating each moistening member toward vand fromV the yarn to causethe moistening member to be alternately immersed in the liquid andraised into contact with the yarn, said means including means forholding each moistening member stationary' in contact with the yarnuntil the. othermoistening member has been brought into contacttherewith.

3. Yarn moistening means including a trough adapted to contain liquidand to be disposed beneath the traveling yarn, a plurality of moisteningmembers `disposed in the trough, means for operating each moisteningmember to cause it-to be alternately immersed inthe liquid and raisedinto contact with the yarn, said means including means for holding amoistening member in contact with the yarn during the time that theother moistening member is traveling downward into the li uid andraising therefrom into contact wit `the yarn.

4. Yarn moistening means including a trough adapted to contain liquidand to be disposed beneath the traveling yarn, aplurality oflongitudinally extending moisten# means for intermittently bodilyraising and lowering said moistening members to alter;- nately bringthem into contact with the yarn and immerse the moistening members andincluding means for holding one of said moistening members in contactwith vthe yarn until the other moistening member after its immersion hasbeen brought into contact with the yarn.

' 5. Yarn moistening means kincluding a trough adapted to contain liquidand to be ing members mounted `in the trough, and

disposed beneath the traveling yarn, a longitudinally extendingmoistening member disposed in the trough and having an uppersurface'adapted to hold water and at all times disposed in a horizontalplane, and means for alternately raising the moistening member intocontact with the yarn and lowering the moistening member to immerse itin the liquid in the trough.

6. Yarn moistening meansv including a trough adapted to contain liquidand to be disposed beneath a traveling yarn, a plural# ity of moisteningmembers disposed in the trough, each of said members consisting of aplurality of longitudinally aligned sections operatively connected toeach other for coincident longitudinal movement, cams formed upon thelower edges of said sections, and

means for reciprocating the sections, and

ribs on the bottom of the rvtrough with which the cam faces of thesections are adapted to enga e whereby the moistening members may eraised or lowered.

7. Yarn moistening means including a trough adapted to contain liquidand to be disposed beneath a plurality of traveling yarns, a lurality ofmoistening members disposed in the trough and extending beneath allofsaid yarns, each moistening member being formed upon its upper face toretain a small amount of liquid, and means for reciprocating eachmoisteningmember, the moistening members being formed upon their u nderedges with inclined cam faces and the trough being formed `with ribsupon which said cam faces ride whereby to cause the upward verticalmovement of each of said moistening members as it is reciprocated in onedirection and the downward movement of each moistening member as it isreciprocated in the other direction.

8. Yarn moistening means including a trough adapted t0 containliquid andto be disposed beneath a plurality of traveling yarns, a. plurality ofmoistening members disposed in the trough and extending beneath all ofsaid yarns, each moistening member being formed upon its upper face toretain a small amountV of liquid, and means for 'reciprocating eachmoistening member being formed upon theirl under edges with inclined camfaces and the 'trough being formed with ribs upon which said cam facesride whereby to cause the upward vertical movement of each of saidmoistening= membersv as it is reciprocated inI one direction andthevdownward movement of each moistening memberas it is reciprocated inthe-other direction, the operating means for the moistening membersincluding means for holding one' of said members raised into contactwiththeyarn until the other member has been raised into contact with theyarn and then lowering the first 130 named member.-

9. Yarn moistening means including a trough adapted to contain liquidand to be disposed beneath a plurality of traveling yarns, a pair ofmoistening members disposed in the trough, each moistening member havingan upper corrugated face adapted to retain a small amount of liquid, andconstantly operated means for bodily alternately raising and loweringeach moistening member into contact with the yarn and including means'for holding each one of said members in contact with the yarn until theother moistening member has been raised into contact with the yarn.

10. Yarn moistening means including a trough adapted to contain liquidand to extend longitudinally beneath a series of traveling yarns, a pairof moistening members disposed in the trough and held spaced from thesides thereof and from each other, each of said moistening membershaving the foi-in in cross section of an inverted U to provide dependingside walls, each of said side walls having a series of cam faces formedthereon, a series of ribs carried by the trough with which said camfaces are adapted to engage, and power operated means for reciprocatingsaid moistening members to canse them to rise from the liquid in thetrough into contact with the yarn or to move away from the yarn and beimmersed in liquid in the trough, said means including means for holdingeach one of said moistening members in contact with the yarn until theother moistening member has risen into contact. with the yarn.

11. Yarn moistening means including a trough adapted to contain liquidand to be disposed beneath the traveling yarn, a longitudinallyextending moistening member disposed in the trough, and means for.alternately raising the moistening member into contact with the yarn andlowering the moisteninY member to immerse it in the li uid in thetrough, the moistening member being formed with a portion over which theyarn passes, this portion having a face equal in length to the traverseof the yarn, the ends of this portion being downwardly and laterallybeveled.

12. The combinatitoin with a yarn winding machine, a. member on whichthe yarn is wound and a traveler reciprocating in front of said memberand acting as a guide for the yarn, of a trough extending longitudinallybeneath the yarn, a moistening member mounted in the trough and adaptedto be alternately raised into contact with the yarn and lowered out ofcontact therewith and immersed in the liquid in the trough, and meansfor alternately raising and lowering the moistening member, themoistening I member being formed with a face over which the yarn in itstraverse passes, this face having a length substantially equal to thetransverse traverse of the'yarn, this face being rounded at its ends bydownwardly and laterally extending faces merging into -the first namedface and upon which the yarn in its traverse passes.

13. The combination with a yarn winding machine, a member on which theyarn is wound and a traveler reciprocating in front of said member andacting as a guide for the yarn, of a trough extending longitudinallybeneath the yarn, a moistening member mounted in the trough and adaptedto be alternately raised into contact with the-yarn and lowered out ofVcontact', therewith and immersed in the liquid in the trough, and meansfor alternately raising and lowering the moistening member, themoistening meniber being foi-ined with a face over which the yarn iiiits traverse passes, this face having a. length substantially equal tothe transverse traverse of the yarn, this face being rounded at itsendsv by downwardly and laterally extending faces merging into -thefirst named face and, upon which the yarn in its traverse passes, theseinclined faces being rounded at their junction with the forward and rearfaces of the moistening member. a

14. The combination in, a winding machine, of a member upon which theyarn is to be wound, means disposed immediately beneath said member forAO'iving a traverse to the yarn, of a trough disposed immediately beneaththe traveling yarn, a plurality of independently movable moisteningmembers disposed in the trough, means for operating each moisteningmember to cause it to be alternately -immersed into the liquid andraised into contact with the yarn, and a splash pan extending from onewall of the trough to a point beneath the means upon which the yarn iswound to receive the drippings therefrom. n

15. The combination in a winding machine, of a member upon which theyarn is to be wound, means disposed immediately beneath said member forgiving a traverse to the yarn, of a trough disposed immediately beneaththe traveling yarn, a plurality of independently movable moisteningmenibers disposed in the trough, means for operating each moisteningmember to cause it to be alternately immersed into the liquid and raisedinto contact with the yarn, and a splash pan extending from one wall ofthe trough to a point beneath the means upon which the yarn is wound toreceive the drippings therefrom, said splash pan being carried by thetrough.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature.

JAMES A. JOHNSON

